Knights in Shining Armor
by Melodia Rea
Summary: Valerie is considered a little sister in the eyes of the Core Group The Hardys , and when Adam steps in as Valerie's love interest the Core Group must keep their eyes on him so Valerie is not hurt again. Prologue explains in depth what happened to Val.
1. Prolouge

PROLOGUE  
August, 2003: Raleigh, North Carolina

The thought of the fight Valerie had incurred with Tyler last night continued to send shivers down her spine. The screaming and yelling that had erupted from Tyler's over-sized mouth made her cringe in fear at just the thought of enduring the brutal attack again. She remembered every hurtful and menacing word as if her were there in front of her reciting his rant once again. Calling her names like, "Whore, pussy,' and the most derogatory of them all, "cunt," just to demean and belittle her. The worst part of it all was that it worked. This wasn't their first fight. They usually had one about once a week or so, and most coincidentally on Wednesday night. She knew why he would pick this fight. He was jealous and typically as drunk as a frat brother on Spring Break in Tihajuana. He always chose Wednesday because it was the night before her regular clubers would come pay her a visit.

They called themselves the "Core Group" and came from an area about an hour away from Raleigh called Cameron. They were a group of wrestlers, a couple of whom were fairly well-known, named Matt and Jeff Hardy, and their life-long friend Shannon Moore and their girlfriends who came in every Thursday and were getting continuously closer to Valerie. They always asked for her by name and would include her in some of their antics. Shannon especially would always find a way to get her out onto the dance floor. A couple of times Jeff's long-time girlfriend, Beth, invited her to their house for a bonfire and party. It was these actions that set Tyler off. He wanted her to no longer have anything to do with the group, but they were her friends. The only ones she had in North Carolina that weren't Tyler's friends that she pretended to like, or that weren't over two hours away and constantly busy. They were all kinds of fun and Valerie enjoyed hanging out with them, but for some reason Tyler couldn't stand them. An outsider's opinion would have said that Tyler was jealous because of the connections she was making without him around. Others may think that he was scared because he had moved down there to be with her because he had been with her for so long and he didn't want to lose her. He claimed, however, that it was because he felt that she was too close to these guys, even though they were all basically taken, and that she was going to have an affair behind his back, and he was going to have none of it.

Last night he had seemed to lose it. "Do you like it better when you're fucking them? Huh, just because they are famous is the sex better with them?" He had screamed at her with such a force she thought that her entire apartment shook. She could smell the grotesque and overbearing stench of Jack Daniels on his breath. "If I ever catch you even looking at them, I swear to God, I'll kill you!" He said as he walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him. This was the normal argument, at least before the name calling it had been, and he normally would call first thing in the morning and leave a voice-mail apology on her cell phone, but this morning there was no apology, and that is when the real fear began to envelop her entire body like a sleeping bag.

She pulled into the employee parking of the Last Stage club and bar where she was employed. After shifting her red Trans Am into park she stepped out and looked around for that familiar hunter green F-150. When she didn't see it anywhere in sight she finally fell that it was safe enough to venture into the building. She couldn't explain why she was so worried about seeing Tyler, bit nonetheless it was a feeling that she couldn't shake.

As she walked out on to the floor she said her hellos to those that she was close to as she searched all around for Veronica. Veronica had the side of the building farthest away from where the "Core Group" sat and where she hoped they also wouldn't be able to see her. The fear that was coursing through truly terrified her. She felt like Tyler was there in the building. Watching her every move waiting for her to make a mistake, but she then thought about how stupid it sounded even to herself and went back on her search for Veronica. As she was searching she had been on tunnel vision and didn't even notice him come upon her. He set his hand on her shoulder and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Hey Val, didn't you see us all waving at you? We got here early tonight," Jeff Hardy looked her dead in the eyes and his calm, sweet smiles always made her happy, and feel safe. Forgetting all about finding Veronica she walked to the table anxious to get a bear hug from Matt, tell Beth about the new dress she had just got for their fourth of July cookout that they had invited her to, and to see the new tattoo Shannon had been raving about, you know the one that took almost a week to have done.

After formalities and admiring Beth's exquisite new teal earrings that Jeff had gotten for her from one of the Indian reservations in Arizona on his trip there that past week she began to start taking their drink orders.

As she sat down the last Budweiser she said, "Here you go," and of course Matt had to get in his little comment about her British accent.

"How much longer is that Brit accent goin' to stick? I mean, hell, you've been in Raleigh nearly a year and it's still there," he laughed his big, boastful laugh.

"Well I lived in Michigan for twelve years and it stuck there so my assumption is never."

"Oh don't let North Carolina fool you, the Southern tongue is contagious," snickered Matt.

"You know her accent has changed a lil' bit since she first met us," guffawed Beth taking a sip of her drink.

"Oh, I wouldn't quite say that," interrupted Tyler, lacing his hands around Val's waist squeezing tighter than Valerie thought was necessary. A hush came over the table as Tyler kissed her cheek; a contemptible look on his face. "If you all don't mind, by the way that is _ya'll_ in hick," he grinned, "I need to speak to Val alone in private. Now," he said pulling her away from the table.

Shannon turned to Jeff and Matt and in only the way that Shannon could say it, "did ya'll hear what that Abercrombie and Bitch just called us?" Usually they all would have burst out laughing, but something about him rubbed everyone seated at the table the wrong way. They all knew he was the biggest doucher in North Carolina, maybe even in the East Coast. The fact of the matter was that they had started a pool on when Valerie was going to dump his scum ass and send him packing, and crying, to his mommy in Michigan.

As the rest of the group began to make their feelings about Tyler known, Jeff felt an alarm going off in his stomach. He had seen something that he was certain that the rest of the group hadn't seen, and that was the fear that was written all over Val's face, and echoed like a scream in her cerulean eyes as Tyler had basically dragged her towards the bathroom area. He had watched her be unwillingly dragged away from the comfort of friends. After about five minutes had passed and Val had still not returned Jeff couldn't wait any longer. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach and it was unrelenting. He knew that this wasn't going to end well, and he felt it his brotherly duty to make sure the girl he and Matt thought of as a baby sister was okay. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her that he himself could have prevented. So he stood up and kissed Beth on the cheek and said he would be right back.

He wasn't one-hundred percent sure where they had gone, but he knew that they had been making their way to the restrooms. He sauntered into the men's room and quietly called, "Valerie? Valerie, are you in here?" Not getting a response he began to duck his head to look under the bathroom stalls finding nothing except a man too old for words alone in a stall with a Victoria's Secret catalogue covered in something that Jeff was hoping wasn't what he thought it was, and he prayed that the images wouldn't come back to haunt his dreams down the road. He then came up with the thought, _would Tyler be ballsy enough to take her into the Women's restroom_? Already knowing the answer he left the repugnant old man and his magazine and stormed out the door.

He walked the two steps forward and then stared down the oak door with the engraved plate that said WOMEN. He thought about what legally could happen to him for walking into a women's restroom and looking under all of the stall doors and thought, consequences be damned, it was his baby sister. He grabbed the brass handle and tried to turn it, only to find it locked. He knew in that moment that this was not going to end well.

Tyler dragged Valerie into the women's bathroom and locked the door behind him. She tried to get away from him by running into the first stall, slamming it so hard that the lock flew off of the door and onto the ground. Her last means of a barrier was keeping the door shut and usuing her body as the block to keep it shut while he pushed at it from the opposite side. Her small frame; however, was no match for his six foot, two-hundred pound football playing physique that was trying to force its way into the stall. When he had made his way in he backed her into a corner of the stall bending her backwards over the porcelain toilet.

"What did I tell you I would do if I caught you talking to them again?" His eyes had never looked so menacing before. "You wanna fuck now? So you come looking for them? I know how it is, but nobody is better than me in the sack and before I break your neck I will prove it to you. Just tell me, which one were you going to screw, huh? The little retard with the Mohawk? No, the meathead with the tacky UNC hat, no wait, I've got it, the freak with the rainbow hair. Or maybe because you are such a whore you were just going to do all three of them at once. Doesn't matter anyways, because Ima show 'em all up anyways," he growled at her as he shoved her skirt up as far as it would go. Then he yanked her panties down and ripped her white blouse open. Valerie heard his pants hit the floor as the shock started to take control of her body, freezing her in place, not allowing her body to even twitch. He spun her exposed body around and smashed her face against the brick wall. She tried to push back with her bent arms, but it was a useless attempt. He bent her over more as she felt him stab her vulnerable and unwilling body. As the tears began to stream down her face she heard someone banging on the door followed by Jeff's familiar voice shouting her name, but before she could scream for him to help her Tyler's hands covered her mouth as he still pulsed inside of her. "Say anything, to anybody, and I will come back and finish what I started." He pulled out as the sound of Jeff at the door stopped, and with her hope of being saved, not that there was much to save anymore. Tyler pulled up his pants and ran out the door like a dog, leaving Valerie lying in a heap on the floor of the stall. The enormity of what had just happened consuming her like a infinite blackness, covered in a film of scum that would never wash clean.

He began to bang at the door like crazy, asking if Valerie could hear him, but he got no reply, and his panic mode went into high gear. Not being able to tear down the solid door on his own he ran back to the table grabbing Matt by the shoulder and telling him, "Come on!"

Matt pulled back and asked, "Jeff, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Valerie, there is something wrong with Valerie! He took her into that damn bathroom, and locked the door! I need you to help me get her out!"

Beth tapped his shoulder and pointed in the direction behind Jeff. "He's not in the bathroom, he's leavin' Jeff."

"Matt just trust me on this! You and Shannon go get the bastard, talk to him, whatever, just do something to grab him."

The occupants at the table stared quizzically at him as if he were some crazed lunatic on a rampage. "Jeff you have said some crazy shit before, but this is fucked up, even for you. How do you know that something is wrong with Val?"

"Well if she is so fine, why is he running out of here, and she is still not back yet, now just be my brother and don't let the bitch get away!" and with that he ran towards the restrooms, dragging Beth with him as he went.

He went slamming through the door and began his search, and he didn't have to look far to see the devastation that Tyler had caused. In the first stall he found a crying, heaving heap that he knew as his baby sister. Seeing the state that the bastard had left her in he ripped off his plaid shirt and covered her in it. When she saw him she sat up and collapsed in his arms. Tears streaming down her face and landing in off-white stains on his white wife-beater as he held her close; his heart breaking because he could've prevented this, and all he could find to say was, "I'll get that sonovabitch, I swear to God." And he hugged her with all of his might.

Beth was behind him and laid a hand on Val's back for comfort. "Jeff, Matt just called, he wants to talk to you."

"Did you tell him?"

"Not everything, just that Valerie is really hurt, so he and Shannon have Tyler, and he's fighting. He wants to know what to do with him."

Jeff thought about it a second. Then he looked down at the hurt and worn woman in his arms and suddenly it all clicked. "Tell him to stuff him in the Accord. I'll be right out." He lifted Valerie's chin so she could look at him, but she closed her eyes.

"I'm too ashamed. I don't deserve to be looked at," she cried through the tears.

"This was not your fault, if anything," he paused, "it was mine." Again he hugged her to let her know that he was there for her. "Now I am going to go with Matt and Shannon, but Beth is going to take you to the hospital now, and call the police. Okay?" Then you are going to come stay with us for a little while, okay?"

She looked up at him and in the most vehement tone she could muster in her current state she replied, "No."

"Val, you have to call the police, and what if he got you pregnant? You need to go," coaxed Beth who now was also on the floor holding her.

"No, I can't let my mother find out, she wouldn't believe it anyways. Tyler is God in her eyes. Besides I am so embarrassed, I don't think I could stand trial," she sobbed into Jeff's shoulder.

Jeff and Beth looked at each other. They knew Valerie well enough, she was as stubborn as a mule, and if she couldn't go through with it, she wasn't going to, but just to say they tried Jeff asked one more time, " are you sure? We'll all be there through everything for you…"

Valerie cut in, "No, I just want to forget that this ever happened and leave it at that."

"Val, you can't just forget it, it's not a problem that is just going to go away," pleaded Jeff, "You need to have some kind of closure."

"The only closure I want is to see Tyler in pieces," she whispered from Jeff's shoulder.

"Not knowing what else to say Jeff simply answered, "Then that's what I'll do," and he passed Val to Beth and headed to meet Matt and Shannon in the car.

An hour passed as the trio drove from Raleigh to Jeff's home in Cameron. They came to a halt in front of a dilapidated building in the backwoods of Jeff and Matt's conjoined properties. Through the whole ride they heard Tyler's cries to be let out, and they were of course ignored. Jeff's anger burned like an inferno and his blood boiled over with the adrenaline rush from what he was going to do to Tyler entered his brain. He could beat the shit out of Tyler, but he wanted to do something else. He wanted to put the same fear in Tyler that he had put in Val. He had told Matt and Shannon what Tyler had done on the ride back, and he had told them how everyone was sworn to secrecy at Val's request. It was a request that was understood. That fear that Valerie had felt lit a fire in the group, and as the transmission was thrown into park, the adrenaline rush once again took over their bodies.

Jeff was at the back of the car first, practically ripping the trunk off of its hinges. Tyler looked up and saw the three of them, but his expression of contempt didn't change until he saw Jeff's face. Nobody had seen Jeff make a face as vicious and menacing as he was making right then. Tyler whimpered, "Oh Shit," as Jeff grabbed him by the front of the shirt and threw him against the side of the building.

"Jeff's green eyes drilled at Tyler like steel. Jeff let Tyler's feet hit the ground as he said, "did you think you were going to get away with what you did?"

"What do you guys want? Money, I can get it for you. My mom, she's got connections, let me just make on …" Jeff cut Tyler off by grabbing his throat.

"We know what you did, and while she may not want to hurt you, but the funny thing is that she's not here to stop us," he paused, "from hurting your fucking doucebag ass," spat Matt yanking on Tyler's medium-length California blonde hair.

In the building they all could hear Shannon rummaging around for something while he chanted his patented, "Honkey gon' die, Honkey gon' die."

"Who's the Honkey that's going to die," croaked Tyler pretending he didn't know, trying his best to hide the fear that was crawling inside of him, but Jeff saw it, and it pleased him.

"Do you know where we are mother fucker?" Matt asked tilting his head to the side.

"The Hardy Childhood home? How the fuck would I know, now lets stop before you guys do something stupid and get arrested," replied Tyler.

"Oh, haha, that's funny, that 's cute, but your dead wrong. Jeff why don't you explain to Limp Dick here where we are."

"Well, this place here," he mocked in an overly Southern accent, "this place here is our little home-made gun range. At least ten miles from any other houses except our houses, and our dad's, and pretty much incapable of being found unless you already know where to find it, so I am going to say that the chances of us getting caught are still much smaller than you leaving here without a scratch," he laughed. He thought telling Tyler where they were would get the reaction from Tyler that he sought, but it turned out that the criminal rapist had more resolve than he thought.

"Yeah right, you guys wouldn't shoot me, and even if you did, somebody would notice I was missing and come looking for me."

"Hey Matt."

"Yeah Jeff?"

"The police are here trying to find Val's for lack of a better term, ass-wipe boyfriend, have you seen him?"

"Why no Jeff, he came by yesterday with some friend of his and they went for a walk in the vast backwoods, and he never came back. You know that happens a lot around here, people disappearing without a trace."

Just as they finished speaking Shannon came waltzing out of the house with Matt's shotgun in tow. "Jeff, man, mah damn T-9 jammed again, goin' ta have ta use the shotgun. Messier, but more affective and you'll use less amo." This brought the fear that Jeff searched for closer to the surface, but he wanted more before the real pain began to start.

"Shannon, throw it here, did you clean it?"

"You think I was in there playin' with mahself?" Jeff caught the brown handled gun by the black barrel and put it beneath Tyler's stubble covered chin. The same fear that had shown in Valerie's eyes now screaming out of Tyler's.

"Now how does it feel to be so scared that you can't even think straight? To feel your imminent death come over you like a cloud on a sunny day?" He cocked the shot gun and shot into the treeline.

"Don't you think that your dad will think it odd that you guys are out shooting so late?" quivered Tyler.

"No, my dad usually finds it weirder when we aren't shooting at midnight," replied Matt. Jeff had waited long enough, he looked at Matt and Matt shook his head and Jeff hit Tyler in the face as hard as he could with the gun barrel breaking it and sending a splash of blood on Jeff's shirt.

Tyler fell to the ground and was on his hands and knees. Jeff bent down and lifted up Tyler's face by his bloodied chin. "The scars we're going to give you tonight are only physical, the pain only temporary, but the scars you left on Valerie are hidden and the pain permanent. The torture you put her through can't be taken away, and I just pray to God that one day you feel the same pain that you caused her." Jeff hit him offsides the head again with the gun barrel. "Just remember," he began to quote what Valerie had been told by Tyler, "if you ever tell anybody, ever, or come within one-hundred feet of Valerie, we, too, will come and finish the job. Understand?"

Tyler shook his head and Jeff knocked his ass out with the butt of the gun while Matt started to kick the shit out of his midsection. Then when they were finished they dropped him off at the local hospital and told the staff, of whom were very big Hardy Boyz supporters, that they found him behind a local bar and wanted to give him a ride to safety. Tyler was never seen nor heard of, in North Carolina, again.


	2. Chapter 1

Charlotte, North Carolina 2009

Valerie stared out of her car's windshield keeping her eyes glued to the Corvette that Jeff and Beth were driving in front of her. She and the Hardys had become like a small family since the night they rescued her from the bathroom floor. They spent Christmas' together and most other holidays. For as much as she was Shannon, Matt, and Jeff's baby sister, she had also become theirMatt and Jeff's dad, the Legend Claude G's adopted daughter. Valerie and Beth were infamous for taking shopping excursions and for drinking long into the night. The only thing that Valerie was grateful for concerning what Tyler had done to her was for cementing the relationship that she had created with the Core Group.

The ramifications of that night have haunted her life for the past six years. She took a pregnancy test that had come back negative which took care of one problem, but the next problem was a little harder to fix. Tyler decided to move back up to Michigan. When he came to pick up his stuff, at Valerie's request Jeff, Matt and Shannon were there and kept him quite a distance away from her. He for some reason had a broken nose, black eyes, and a fractured radius, forearm that the boys knew nothing about. He tried to speak to Val, but the boys just told him to get his shit and get out. Not being able to lift anything on his own Shannon and Jeff offered to help, while Matt kept his arm around Valerie, and they got everything out in a very timely manner of ten minutes. It probably went so fast because rather than carry Tyler's belongings to his car they kept throwing everything out of the window. Valerie had thought about stopping them, but she couldn't stop laughing at Tyler screaming at the boys to stop before they threw Tyler's 1st place bowling trophy that he had gotten at nationals last year. She heard the crunch it made as it hit the ground.

A week after he left is when the second, more difficult problem began. Valerie got a very livid phone call from her mother. She was outraged that Val had the nerve to break up with her running mate's son. Valerie couldn't and wouldn't tell her mother about what happened. Not because she didn't want to tell her mom, but because her mother wouldn't believe that Tyler, perfect little Tyler, could possibly ever do something so vile and terrible. All she could do was say that Tyler and herself had parted ways on a mutual basis, and that her mother was just going to have to accept that fact. She never did accept it, and to this day she kept trying to get Valerie to go back to Tyler. Beth told her she should just tell her mother because it couldn't be any worse for her mother to know the truth than for her mother to set her back up with Tyler.

She followed the Corvette into the VIP parking area. Jeff's suicide door was lifted into the air and she saw his blonde and dark brown ponytail sticking up above the door while he bent over to release the hatch on the trunk. Beth got out and walked over to Val as she locked her car up.

"Hey Val, are you coming to dinner with us after the show?" she called.

"Don't know yet. I'll see what time it is when we get out of here. If we have to go to Roanoke tomorrow and leave by at least eight in the morning and you know that I am not good at getting up in the morning. I need to get some sleep."

Beth scoffed at her answer. "Aren't you the one gets up every day at like 5:00 for work?" she then kissed Jeff good bye as he went into his dressing room while we took our VIP badges and made our way to our seats.

"Yeah I do get up for work at five, but when I am getting up for work it isn't the morning after going out drinking all night with you guys," laughed Valerie.

The pair showed their tickets to the usher who showed them to their seats. The crowd was yelling and screaming from all areas of the arena. Adam could hear them from in his dressing room. He finished pulling up his tights and tied the strings. He sat on the couch and pulled on his boots. He looked at himself in the mirror and really looked at himself for the first time in awhile. He saw the small wrinkles starting to form around his eyes. He saw the roughness of his once smooth features. He grabbed at his long lion-like hair and tugged. He was so sick and tired of his long locks that he had been growing for so many years. He couldn't even remember the last time he had short hair, but now at the ripe age of thirty-five he was starting to get sick of it. However, it was his symbol, it made him who he was, and that is why he kept it.

_Knock, knock_ sounded from the door, then it was opened. The flirtatious young thing that was on the other side of the door popped her head in and said, "five minutes until your match Edge, or can I call you Adam?" her voice had an enticing tone that said that she was interested in more than announcing that he needed to head towards the stage. Now if he was still in his twenties he would have normally jumped at the chance to bed that girl without a second reprehensible thought, but he was at a stage in his life where he wanted the one thing that he had tried twice before to have: a family. First had been Alanah, which lasted four years, but was a complete waste of time. She was more of a 'oh I'm getting notoriety I owe my current girlfriend a wedding ring because she has been with since before I got famous.' Big mistake on his part, this he knew. Then there was Lisa, a fantastic girl that he had really truly in love with, but he let his second brain take control of his body and ended up with Amy "Lita" Dumas. That was a terrible decision. He should have never listened to her that night. He had loved her as well, and she had given him the same dreams that she had given his once good friend Matt Hardy, and then like she had done to Matt, ripped them away at the turn of a hat, or more appropriately the tearing of a pectoral muscle. Once upon a time Adam, the Hardy Boyz, Jason, and others would tear up the town together, then he loused it up because of a woman. In hindsight he should have known her departure was imminent once he was injured because she had left Matt for Adam when Matt was laid up after his knee surgery, and then she turned around and left him for another man when Adam too had an injury. She cost him that family he thought, no he knew, that he was ready to have and care for.

"You can stick with Edge," he finally replied to the girl in the spaghetti tank top and too-short skirt. She got a disgusted face and walked out of the room leaving Adam once again by himself. He turned back to his mirror and whispered, "Maybe I wasn't meant to have a family of my own." Then he walked out the door and towards the stage.

"Well folks, welcome to back to RAW Live from Charlotte, North Carolina and we are a third of the way through our three hour, three for all special presented by Castrol GTX," announced Lillian Garcia from the middle of the square circle. Valerie looked at the two people who sat beside her. On her right sat Beth who was texting and twittering with Kimo and Yuk on her phone. Kimo and Yuk were together somewhere in the Time Warner Cable arena, but with as many people as there were in the arena it was most impossible to find them. On her left sat her Aunt Jennyfer and Jenn's husband Benjamin.

Aunt Jenn was a story all on her own. She was only two years older than Valerie, but she was Val's aunt, sister, mentor, and most importantly: best friend. She was also basically Val's replacement mother; not because of age, but because of experience. She was the one that found a way to sneak Val out to parties and set her up on dates. She was a hot rod that nobody could contain. She was more than a little loose in high school, but then she met Ben at a concert in his home state of Pennsylvania. What made this particular event interesting was the fact that Ben was the one preforming at the concert. They had been together for eleven years, and married for nine of them. They had three fantastic kids, and still acted like newlyweds ninety percent of the time. It was d'awww inspiring to see them together, but at the same time, for Valerie at least, it was a depressing reminder of what she herself would never have because nobody wanted damaged goods, tarnished silver, a broken woman.

Back in the ring Lillian was announcing, "The next bout is set for one fall, and it is a triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship!" The second she finished speaking, Jeff's theme song began to echo through the arena. Everyone was screaming and shouting at the top of their lungs including Beth, Valerie, and Jennyfer. Ben sat in anticipation. He never screamed, nor shouted he said that was a girl thing. He was only there for the violence and half-naked chicks, which would get a reaction from Jenn by means of her slapping his head. Everyone knew he had been in love with wrestling since he was a little kid, he just didn't want to be screaming with a bunch of girls.

Beth's better half came running to the entrance ramp and was high-fiveing all of the hands that he could reach as he was given a crowd reaction befitting a rock star. He had his face painted white with black designs on it, his hair soaking wet, and he was wearing his long-sleeved black nylon shirt with signature black pants and lemon yellow, studded belt.

The air was electric with anticipation because last night Jeff Hardy had won the World Heavyweight Championship from Edge, but not five minutes after their match had ended CM Punk came in and stole it from him. Tonight was Jeff's chance to reclaim it. He flew into the ring and went to the corner, jumped on to the second turnbuckle, and preformed his gimmick causing another explosion of people screaming their allegiance to the Charismatic Enigma. He leapt down and went to preform it on another turnbuckle, but it was cut short as the words, "You think you know me," escaped from the speakers and the stage entrance began to fume. Myles Kennedy's voice began to sing, "On this day, I see clearly," as the six foot four inches tall Edge began his strut towards the ring.

He stopped just two steps into his approach throwing his two long arms into the air with all but his index and pinkie finger collapsed into a fist forming the universal symbol for 'rock on'. Then he continued to make his way down to the ring. He jumped, or more slid, into the ring on his stomach looking intensely all around him.

Then last and, to every Hardy-loving fan in North Carolina's eyes, least liked competitor, the rat CM Punk tramped his way down to meet the two other competitors. He jumped onto the lowest turnbuckle and flaunted his purloined prize to everyone in the arena, causing a wave of boos to rumble through the building. Jeff's group of four in the second row, too, were just a few of those expressing their distaste to the Straight-edge Superstar. He just took it and accepted it, relishing in the pride that those few who did support him were sending him.

Adam stood behind the curtain, Jeff and Phillip, CM Punk, were standing with him. Phil was shining his belt that he had won last night, and tonight he was starting his transition from babyface to heel. Last night, stealing the title had been just the beginning for him. There was so much more to come between him and Jeff. The fans were going to love and yet hate at the same time. Adam turned to his once very good friend Jeff and tried to tell him good luck, but he was met only with animosity.

"Hey Jeff," he began, but Jeff interuppted.

"Adam, I know you and Matt made up and everything, and that is great you guys are a great pair, but you and me? We will never be friends, so don't even try that Mickey Mouse bullshit and try to be my friend again. We are competitors and co-workers, nothing more. You may have broken Matt's heart taking Amy, but you also broke our trust, and if I can never trust you again, how can we be friends? Now let's go out there, put on the best show we can, and then we will both go home tonight," and Jeff walked through the curtain as his music began to play. Adam thought some of the anger Jeff was feeling was from the fact that even though he had known that his title would be taken away, he was still a little emotionally sore about it, not to mention, that Jeff, like Adam, was physically sore from the ladder match that they had endured last night.

After their individual announcements were made by Lillian, the referee Mike Kyota motioned to the time keeper and the bell was rung. Jeff went running at Punk fury running through him like a rabid dog who smelled blood. He hit Punk, then Edge, and the Punk again. Back and forth until Edge just happened to get a leg up and land his foot in Jeff's face knocking him to the ground, then he was able to land another foot in Punk's face. While performing his gimmick Jeff had gotten up and did one of his high energy, high-risk leaping kicks and landed Edge in the corner. He lay there a second while Jeff and Punk went at it, then Edge got back into the bout. CM was alone at one edge of the square and Edge speared him over the top rope, and while he relished in the excitement that the crowd showed for having done something detrimental to Punk, he quickly found out that a lot of what the crowd was screaming about was that Jeff was coming at him with a clothesline that dropped him to the floor.

Edge and Punk were on the mat and had just stood up when Jeff did a slingshot body slam over the top rope landing on the two other competitors. Jeff stood up first, followed by Edge, and Jeff ran at him sending his body first into the retaining wall. Edge had not properly braced himself enough so he landed wrong shoving the air out of him like a blown tire. Bent over at the waist over the black wall while the referee asked, "can you continue?"and he shook his head yes. He just needed a minute. Taking his sweet time in standing up he looked into the crowd and suddenly the whole world stopped. He was almost face to face with two one-of-a-kind green-blue eyes on the most angelic face he had ever seen. He and the girl were the only two inhabitants of the entire arena. He went to mouth something to her when Jeff threw Punk into him and he collapsed to the ground with Punk on top of him. He had a fight to finish, and he had no choice but to ignore his more evolutionary feelings and do his job. Besides, what were the chances that a girl like that could ever want a guy like him?

In the end Punk won the match using a heel technique by faking an injury to get the other two to beat the shit out of each other. Punk kept his title while Edge and Jeff were left with bare waists. Val and Beth left the arena so they could get Jeff and Matt and go out for dinner. Val and Beth met Jeff in his dressing room. Jeff was throwing on a white t-shirt. His hair was still soaking wet from the shower he had just taken. He saw the girls walk into the room and he went to Beth to give her a hug and a kiss. Picking up his shoes and went to put them on and he asked, "So how was the fight from your angle?"

Valerie thought about it a second while Beth made sure that Jeff's back was okay from the hard hit he had taken when Punk had slammed him into the steel steps. Val still couldn't shake the feeling that she had gotten when Edge had been thrown into the wall and was face to face with her. She had been completely mesmerized as he looked at her. A feeling had come over her that she had never felt before. He was all she could think about since the whole fight happened. She couldn't even remember anything that Jeff had done after that for the rest of the entire match. The only thing that she had been watching was Edge, then CM Punk's theme song started to play and she was thrust back into reality, and there was Punk pinning Edge for the win. His face and voice was still haunting her because she had heard and knew so much about Edge the character over the years, and had been there to witness the aftermath of the his affair with Amy had caused. That was all she knew of the Rated-R Superstar, and the other terrible things that Matt and Jeff would tell her about him. And yet, for some reason, she still couldn't get him out of her head. It was like a drug being passed through her body. It just kept repeating and repeating over and over again inside of her head.

"Jeff, it wasn't half bad, damn shame that you didn't get your title. You worked so hard for it last night. Speaking of which, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm doing okay, my back is still plenty sore, and that impromptu shove into the steel stairs didn't feel to hot, but eh, I'll live." He had his arm around Beth and his bag on his shoulder. "I think I have earned a massage tonight with the Bio-Freeze," he commented looking at Beth.

"We'll see what time it is when we get home. Now lets go find Matt so that we can leave. Have you decided if you are going to go with us?" Beth asked.

"Probably not. I have to go home and pack yet for tomorrow. Besides, if I don't play the responsible one who will?" Valerie replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Beth frowned.

"Well if I don't get up on time to call you both until you wake-up who will?" she chuckled in response.

Beth gave Val a look that said party pooper. She and Jeff looked at each other and then said, "We'll show you!" with a big smile on her face, sarcasm resonating in her tone. "Tomorrow we are going to wake up before you, and then we'll rub it in your face ALL DAY!"

"Not if you let Jeff have that massage that he wants!" The laughter followed Val as she left the room and made her way to her little, red sports car.

The match had ended nearly an hour ago and Adam's midsection was killing him. He knew it was from when Jeff had pulled him legs first through the rung on the ladder. He had been ready and prepared to do it, but they had neglected to mention that he had to stay like that for an unspecified amount of time. There was no bruise to tell the tale, but the pain was and he was having no other choice than to listen. But now he was on his way to lay in the comfort of his hotel room bed before the long drive to Roanoke, Virginia.

He almost didn't want to leave the facility. He wanted to go through the mob leaving look through the throng of people until he found the blonde Goddess that he had stared eye-to-eye with. Her eyes had were a fascinating Caribbean blue, with perfect blonde hair, and a flawless skin tone. His mind just swirled with thoughts of her, but as much as he wanted her he knew that he would never see her again.

He was four cars away from his rented Cadillac Escalade when the sound of a female loudly muttering, "great" hit his ears as he passed a red Trans Am. He felt like being the knight in shining to the damsel in distress, but when the woman stepped out of the car his breath caught and he once again felt like the nerd in high school that was more afraid of girls than the swirlies from the football team. It was angel eyes from the second row popping the car's hood. Her hair mussed, possibly from attacking her hair in anger brought on by her non-functional automobile. The only thing he could think of was how gracious God could be!

Valerie dug her car keys out of the pocket of her pants. She hit the unlock button on the remote for her car, but nothing happened. She tried it again and still nothing. Thinking it was the battery to the remote she manually unlocked the car. She climbed into her car and stuck the key in the ignition. Still nothing. Then the thought hit her. The door to the car was open, but the light wasn't on, the key was turned in the ignition, but the car wouldn't start. Thus, the battery was dead. "Great!" she mumbled louder than she meant to. She stepped out of the car and popped the hood.

"Anything that I can do to help?" The voice took Val by surprise because she had not seen anybody walking by her, and never would she have guessed that the man who was walking by would be Edge. Shocked, but not startled she collected herself enough to say, "Dead battery."

"I have a car if you have cables," he replied setting his bag on the ground. He stood next to her, his cologne wafting into her nostrils, causing her to feel a strange emotion. One part of her wanted to be near him, to interact with him, and the other part was timid and scared of him. That part of her was familiar to her. That was the feeling that she had been experiencing ever since Tyler had done what he had to her. The other emotion was more foreign to her, and yet she vaguely felt that it was familiar. Something that she hadn't felt in years.

"Yeah I have cables in the trunk. Thank you, Edge, right?" she nervously laughed.

"If you don't know me personally. Those that do tend to call me Adam," his big smile was geeky and adorable. Her knees suddenly had the urge to buckle, but she braced herself with her car. "I'll be right back," he said grabbing his bag and walking towards his vehicle. Valerie watched him walk away in his khaki shorts and white AC/DC t-shirt. A pair of gunmetal aviator sunglasses perched atop his golden hair that was pulled into a ponytail. The outfit was make-shift, but on him it seemed perfect.

Adam beeped open the vehicle, threw his bag in the back seat, and he hopped into the driver's seat. His pulse was racing because somehow he had become the luckiest man in the world to somehow find his mystery girl in the parking garage. He had talked with her for only two minutes and already he was hooked. It was like a line in a song, 'I loved her and I don't even know her name,' to remedy that when he pulled up in front of her car, jumpers in her hands, he asked, "Want to hand me the cables?"

Adam beeped open the vehicle, threw his bag in the back seat, and he hopped into the driver's seat. His pulse was racing because somehow he had become the luckiest man in the world to somehow find his mystery girl in the parking garage. He had talked with her for only two minutes and already he was hooked. It was like a line in a song, 'I loved her and I don't even know her name.' to remedy that when he pulled up in front of her car, jumpers in her hands he asked, "Want to hand me the cables, umm …"

"Valerie, or Val. Your choice really," she giggled. He found her little accent so adorable. There were certain words that let you know she was British, but then other times she would say something and you would swear she was Southern. He found it quite cute. Another thing he loved about her, besides her eyes, she had a body that any woman would kill for. She had on a burgundy tank top that accentuated all of the right curves. She had on mid-thigh denim shorts that showed off her fantastic legs. And at the some time, not to sound too cliché, but there was something different about her. When it came to most women his first thought lead straight to putting his penis to good use, but not with this girl. All he could think about was getting lost in her eyes, watching a movie on his couch just holding her in his arms, and seeing her sitting in the same second row seat that he had seen her tonight cheering his name. A strange emotion for the crude, lewd, and tattooed Rated-R Superstar to be thinking about. In his head he felt that this was more of a courtship than casual sex; emotional gratification over physical gratification.

"Well Val, if you'll hand me those cables I'll start charging your battery." As he bent over her car to hook up the cables to her battery she couldn't help but take a guilty look at his khaki clad behind. (Author's Note: Who could blame her? It's a work of art!! ;-)) Again those mixed emotions came into her stomach. They perplexed her, but before she could think about it anymore he asked, "So how did you get into the VIP lot, not that I am complaining."

"Oh I came with Matt and Jeff. They're my '_big brothers,'_" she replied putting emphasis on big brother.

"You're the Hardy's sister? I thought it was just the two boys?" gasped Adam. "but you have a British accent?"

"Not biologically. We have mutually adopted each other since I moved here from Michigan. My accent is because I was born and raised in England until I was five."

"Oh," he replied swallowing his tongue. He remembered how the relationship ended the last time he dated his friend's sister. Divorce. His mind began to tell him, just help the girl out, then leave and forget that you ever met her, but a stronger, more controlling part of his body screamed to take the chance. "Well, then I'm fairly positive that if I gave you my number right now you would never call it," he said with the sincerest smile that he had in his arsenal hoping that she might take pity on him.

"You never know," she started, looking coyly up at the roof of the parking garage, "You could give me the number and I could think about it."

In his mind Adam was jumping for joy screaming 'yes, yes, yes!' in his head, but in reality he just grinned his big-toothed cheesy grin and said, "alright."

They exchanged numbers and Val got her car started. Adam disconnected the cables and put them in the trunk of the Trans Am. "So are you going to Roanoke tomorrow?"

"There is a good possibility, why do you ask?"

"Well if you do happen to use that phone number you could meet me for coffee, say sometime after the show tomorrow? Maybe even make a date? It is the last show until Friday.

"We'll see," the Corvette next to them made a beeping noise and the light blinked. The sound caused her to whip her head to the direction of the sound and there walking toward the car was Jeff. Adam immediately knew he was busted.

"Hey Val, Adam, what are you two up to?" he stared malevolently at Adam, then his face softened as he turned to Val.

"My car battery died, I left my lights on I guess. Adam just happened to be walking by and offered to jump my battery."

"As long as he's not jumping anything else. So are you sure you just want to go home? We are going to go to the Waffle House on Ravine Road."

"Yes I'm sure! I am so tired from screaming and yelling! Remember, you were with friends all day. I was babysitting two five-years-olds and an eighteen month old today. I am wiped out."

"Okay Baby Sis, I will call you later," Adam knew that Jeff said that just so that Adam knew that Jeff knew what he was up to. He came and kissed Val on the cheek like any big brother would, popped the trunk of his car and threw his bag in it. Adam took this as his cue to depart.

"Bye," he said turning to his vehicle.

"Bye and thanks again," she started. Then she mouthed, "I'll think about what you said." He hopped into his seat and took off his face beaming with excitment.

Val couldn't believe what had just happened, and she also couldn't decide if she did or didn't want to call Adam. And if she decided that she did want to call him, when was it okay? There was defiantly something that was happening between the two of them, and there was something different about Adam. He did not seem like the playboy deviant that Matt and Jeff had made him out to be. He seemed almost child-like and sweet. She was still thinking about their interaction while she sat in the air-conditioning of her car when Jeff began to tap on her car window.

She rolled it down and asked in a whiny voice, "Wha-a-a-a-t?"

"Was he messing with you? Because if he is I will take care of him for you."

"He was just helping me. He was in the right place at the right time."

"Well trust me on this, don't get involved with Adam Copeland. You can't trust the bastard. Believe me when I say the last person you need in your life is a guy like that."

"Well he didn't do anything vulgar if that is what you are getting at, and besides who are you to stop me from getting involved with someone if I want to."

"I just don't want to you to get hurt like you did before."

"Who's to say I will. In six years I haven't given anyone else a chance to get close enough to hurt me. Maybe it is finally time to let myself be free."

"Well trust me, if you get involved with him, you will get hurt. You know I do this because I worry about you, right," he said with the utmost sincerity.

"Yeah I know." Her heart ached because a part of her didn't want to hurt her big brother and best friend, but the other part was ready to break free and take this chance. And unfortunately for Jeff, she had a rebellious streak in her that can't be told what who she can and can't see. That made the part of her wanting to break free the size of Texas. That rebellious thing had to be coming from being with Aunt Jenn. She pulled out of her parking space and when she got to the stop sign before pulling on to the road, she sent a text to Adam's phone number.

"Why not, place and time?"


	3. Chapter 2

1Roanoke, Virginia (ECW/SMACKDOWN Taping)

Adam was still in disbelief that not even five minutes after leaving yesterday that she had texted him a yes; the woman who was considered a sister of Jeff Hardy, a man who wanted to rip his guts out. Jeff who had interrupted there conversation and had all but actually said, "Don't mess with my sister, or else." Val was there, and she heard what he had to say, and there was no chance that she misunderstood what Jeff was inferring, and she told him yes anyways. She hadn't hit him as the rebellious type, but what did he care as long as he got to out on a date with the lovely Miss. Valerie, something. He still didn't even know her last name.

He replied to her early this morning saying he would meet her in the parking lot entrance after the show and they could find somewhere to go for coffee. She answered with a quick yes. Adam was mildly concerned about what Jeff would do if he found out, even though Adam had been warned, that he was still dead set on wooing Jeff's sister. What could Jeff do about it really besides beat him half to death in the ring? Valerie was a grown woman who could date whoever she wanted.

Adam was more anxious than a five-year-old at Christmas by the time the end of the show came. He had been in the main event which had made the whole day seem even longer than it normally did, but now that he was done he took the fastest shower of his life, dressed in his jeans and black Metallica t-shirt, and ran out the door as fast as lightning. He ran out so fast that he was almost to the meeting place when he realized that he had forgotten his bag.

Valerie walked with Beth out of the arena doors into the backstage area. The guards asked for their badges and then let them through. "So Jeff said that Adam jumped your battery last night. Leave your light s on?"

"Yeah I was looking for something in my glove compartment and I had turned the overhead light and I must have forgotten to turn it off. I'm just glad somebody was there, I didn't know how long you all were going to wait for Kimo and Yuk. Adam just happened to be walking by," Val tried to keep herself from smiling too much when she said his name, but she almost couldn't control herself.

"Do you like him?" Beth asked with an accusatory expression.

"No," Val defended.

"YOU DO!"

"Don't tell Matt or Jeff, I don't know how they will take it."

"Honey, they won't care if you like him. They'll only care if you're datin' him. To Matty and Jeff he's a predator of the female species. Do anythin' to get them to sleep with him, and that is the last thing I am sure you have thought about. Do you think you'd be ready to do that again? I mean I know it's been years, but are you sure you'd be able to make yourself that vulnerable to another man again? Especially a guy like that?"

Val had never thought about that part of the relationship. She had taken into account the lovey-dovey feelings that came to be. Spending time together, going to dinner, watching movies, but sex? She hadn't given it a second thought in six years. What if Beth, and Jeff, and Matt were all right? Adam was just some man on the prowl? But he seemed so different. And she was going to meet him the day after exchanging numbers only yesterday. But they were only going for coffee, in a foreign city, where nobody knew her. Suddenly the prospect of what seemed like a fantastic night became scary and ominous.

"Beth, you don't think he would do to someone like what Tyler did, do you?"

"Honey, who knows, but if Adam is still the guy that I know, then no there is no way that he would ever think about doing anything that vile or stupid. Who do you think he is?"

"The way Matt and Jeff talk about him, Lex Luthor."

"Come on, we'll go find the boys and head home."

"Bull, you guys aren't driving home tonight. Are you?"

"Yeah, it's not that long of a drive. Only about three hours. We can do that. Be home and sleep in our own beds."

"Okay, well I'm going to head out then. I'll see you guys on Thursday because I have to work tomorrow."

"You do? I thought you always had Wednesday off?"

"Only because of that one class I was taking for my Masters, but I have been done for awhile. Now I am back to working." Valerie felt bad fro lying to Beth, but she wasn't sure how this was going to work out between her and Adam anymore. Before she was sure this was a great way to break free and re-enter the world of dating, but now she was getting cold feet. What if it happened again? What if something worse happens? Then that second little voice in her head, the one that told her yesterday to go for it, kept telling her, 'but everything could work out perfectly and it would be like you were made for each other.'

She couldn't decide which voice to listen to as she walked to the entrance to the parking garage where she knew Adam was waiting for her. She could listen to the scared littlee girl inside of her and walk back to the safety of Jeff and Beth, or she could brave the unknown world and go find Adam. She decided to listen to the small child. She turned around and bumped right into the chest of a man in a Metallica t-shirt. She looked up and saw Adam.

"Hey, fancy running into you here," he smiled down at her. She had never notice the distance in height that the two had as she came to just about his clavicle. It was intimidating, but when she looked at Adam, she was not scared.

"Yeah, what a coincidence," she fumbled with her words because on the outside she looked calm and reserved, but on the inside she was shaking like a she was being pushed around by a jackhammer.

"Are you ready to go? I asked around and I found out about this great little restaurant around the corner that is open late. They said it was only about a five minute walk from here; unless you would rather drive."

Val looked at Adam and it only took a second to decide, "Let's go." He wrapped her arm around his as he escorted her through the door. They had to make a quick stop by his car to drop off his bag and then they made their way to the Texas Tavern.

When they arrived it was nothing like what Valerie thought she would find in Virginia. It was just a little place made out of white bricks. There was a big neon sign formed into an arrow shape that said EAT on top of a sign declaring the restaurants name. They walked in and took a seat at the steel counter. The seats were red vinyl, and the place looked like a time trip back to the fifties or sixties. There was a coke machine in the corner and an old register.

She picked up the menu and read Texas Tavern: Roanoke's Millionaire Club! Established 1930. The waitress came out and asked for their drink orders.

"What's good here?" asked Adam.

"Well it's all good," she replied. She had her curly red hair up in a ponytail and was wearing a yellow shirt with blue jeans and a well worn apron that said Texas Tavern. She took a second and then added to her response. "Well we are best known for our cheesy Westerns and our world-famous Chili. Our owners Jim and Velma have been traveling the country looking for chili that trumps ours, but they haven't found one yet."

"I'll try one of each, how about you Val?"

"Same here."

The waitress took the menus and left them alone. They were the only two in the restaurant so Val took this as her time to begin some sort of a conversation. She didn't want to get to blunt, but she wanted to know who was right. She had to know where this might be leading because if all this was to get her into his bed she wanted nothing to do with it.

"Adam I have to be honest with you. I'm unsure of your intentions in this relationship. I mean I am not bowing to Jeff's will, but he makes a valid point about you. You aren't quite known for your fidelity. If to you this is just another roll in the hay then you may as well stop right now because I have been very hurt in the past and frankly, I'm not able to go through anymore hurt in my life."

Adam was dumbfounded. His first thought was how could she not see what he felt for her, and he was offended that she thought he could hurt her, but he understood why the thought would cross her mind. His second thought was who in their right mind could possibly be able to hurt Valerie? "Valerie, I can tell you with all of my heart that what I feel for you is true," he reassured her. "You shouldn't always listen to those around you because they may be spreading the word, but they may not have the whole story. Besides, whatever they say is going to be clouded by their biases."

"What are you getting at?"

"Why don't you take the time to make an opinion for yourself because after all that is the only opinion that matters," he looked deep in her eyes while he waited for hes response.

"You're right, it is, and I would be lying if I said I hadn't already formed an opinion of you already."

"Oh," Adam said broken-hearted, "I guess this means this is going to be a one-time deal." He said with the disappointment in his voice.

"Why do you always assume the worst?" she laughed.

"You said you ad already …" she placed her index finger on his lips.

"I said I had an opinion, I never said that it was a bad one." They smiled at each other as the waitress came back with Valerie's chocolate and Adam's strawberry milkshakes.

"Your food will be out shortly," she said setting their drinks in front of them.

"Nothing like a heart-attack inducing meal after performing in front of thousands of people," Adam commented stabbing his shake with his white and red stripped straw. He took a couple of sips on his straw, but nothing came up, so he grabbed his glass and put it to his mouth. When he pulled the glass away Valerie couldn't help but start to giggle. On his nose was some of the whipped cream that topped the milkshake. "What's so funny?" he asked not realizing what had happened.

She pointed to the mirror across from them. He turned and made fun of Valerie's laughter in a sarcastic manner. He stuck his finger in his whipped cream and placed it delicately on her nose, "Now we match." Their laughter continued as the waitress came back out carrying their chilies, and she had a look of wonder on her face. She probably thought that they were idiots, but Adam and Valerie didn't care.

That is how the rest of their night went, until finally at midnight the staff had to kick the couple out, so Adam and Valerie walked back to the parking garage. They had been walking for about five minutes when Val felt Adam grab her hand. At first she began to think that they were moving too fast for her, but at the same time she felt that it was just right having her hand clasped in his own.

There was a cool breeze as they walked the calm, quiet streets of Roanoke, Virginia. The night had seemed so perfect that Val didn't want it to come to an end. Her heart even sank a little when the reached her car. She stopped and turned to look at him, "I had a great night."

"Me, too," he now was holding both of her hands, "I'd like to do this again."

"But when? You live in Florida, I live in North Carolina."

"Well I have a flight to Florida in the morning. I can cancel it and meet you in Raleigh."

"I can't let you do that. You need to go home."

"Home to who? My family all lives in Orangeville."

"Friends?"

"I have a cell phone, if they want to talk to me they'll call it. I would rather spend my time with you. I'll call you tomorrow around eight, and you can tell me where to go." His big smile was glowing in the dark parking garage.

Val had to think about it a minute. Was this moving too fast? Yes. Did she care? No. So why was she trying to tell him to go home? "Okay, I'll think of somewhere to go. I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Great!" He squeezed her and looked like he was going to kiss her, but instead he let go of her hands and opened her car door. He helped her in, said his good byes and shut the door for her. She thought about how she would have felt if he had kissed her. Would she have let him? She wasn't sure. What she did know was that for the third time in three days she was going to be seeing Adam, and that she had yet to tell Matt and Jeff. She knew the longer she waited, the worse it would be, but right all she could think about was the swarm of butterflies slowly forming in her stomach every time she thought about Adam.


	4. Chapter 3

**Sorry it has taken so long to update, I have been sooooo busy with school and work. More to come soon, but here is a tidbit for now! **

**Chapter 3:**

Valerie pulled into her apartment complex's parking lot at quarter after twelve. She was grateful to be home, and a little nervous about what was ahead of her today. She unlocked her front door a found herself remembered that Baily, her dog, was still with her friend Sara who lived down the street. She walked to her blinking answering machine and pushed the play button. The first message was from the hospital. Her boss said he knew that she was just getting back today, but he wanted to know of she could work the eleven to seven shift tonight. She knew she was going to have to think about that, and the next was Sara saying that she had to work until eight so she could pick up Baily anytime after eight thirty.

She took out her cell phone and looked to see if Adam had called and she had just missed it, but there was only a text message from the Weather Channel. She rolled her suitcase into her bedroom and flung it on top of her mattress. By the time she was finished putting all of her clothes away she saw that the clock next to her bed read ten to one. Her head was becoming a little deflated. She didn't want to think that Adam was just going to skip out, but she had experienced worse things in her life. Her mind flashed with an image of Tyler, she cringed and hugged herself shaking the thought of him out of there. She wished she could just forget him, but there were just some things that people cannot forget.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She ripped it out and put it to her ear without even looking at the screen. "Hello!" she breathed out.

"Hey there baby sister, how's it hanging?" Jeff said over the line.

"Hi Jeff, not much. What can I do for you?"

"We're going out to the County Line tonight, you in?"

"What time tonight?"

"Like nine or ten. You gotta come."

"I can't, I have to work at eleven."

"Call in."

"I can't, they asked me to come in. Maybe another time, sorry Bruva."

"Okay, I'll be sure to party double for ya!"

"Thanks, I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

She called work after she disconnected from Jeff. The clock now hit 1:10 and her heart was beginning to sink. She walked towards the kitchen and poured herself a glass of orange juice. She sipped it as she looked out the window above her sink. She watched and waited for something that wasn't coming. She so desperately wanted him to call, but she was trying to deny that she was getting disappointed every minute he didn't talk to her. She went to her couch and bounced onto the couch and turned on the television. She tucked her chin down and within minutes she was asleep.

Adam was getting impatient. The plane had already been delayed in Virginia by an hour and a half, but now that they had landed, nearly two hours late already, they said that there might be a security threat on the plane and so they were to stay seated until the threat was cleared. This meant they couldn't make any kinds of phones calls, lest anyone call in the news tidbit to the press, which meant that he was completely unable to let Valerie know why he was late. She probably thought that he was the scum of the universe right now. He just hoped that this stupid flight would end soon. He just prayed that she wasn't so angry that she never wanted to see him again.

About a quarter after five Valerie woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. Her heart raced as she erratically went digging in her pants pocket for her phone. When she finally got a hold of it the phone had just sent the caller to voicemail as the phone read 'one missed call – Adam Copeland'. She couldn't push the call button any faster if she had tried.

Adam couldn't leave a message; he didn't know what to say, so he just flipped his phone shut. He felt terrible, and at the same time he hated himself because he could've prevented this. He could've just driven a rental, he should've just driven a rental, but no he chose a half hour flight that lasted almost seven hours. His heart sank as he slumped in the seat of his rental. He threw the phone into the passenger seat in anger, and when it hit the seat it began to vibrate and sing. He threw the phone open so fats he almost broke it in two. "Hello?"

"Adam?" rushed Valerie's melodious voice over the speaker. "Sorry, I was sleeping and I couldn't get to the phone fast enough. I was getting worried about you, are you okay?" She didn't sound mad, or upset, just worried because he hadn't called.

"Val, I am so sorry, there were so many delays and I couldn't make any phone calls. I hope you aren't mad."

"I'm fine, just needed a nap. It was a long drive. Are you in Raleigh?"

"Yeah. Do you think that you could find it in your heart to still go somewhere with me tonight?"

Valerie knew she had to work tonight at eleven, but she really wanted to see Adam. She knew what she should do, "Definitely. What would you like to do?"  
_______________________________________________________________________

Adam and Valerie walked down by the creek in the local park eating ice cream cones and holding hands as they went. The sun was setting and it was eight thirty. She should be just getting up and got ready for work, but here she was with this man that she had so wrongly misjudged all of these years. For so long she had thought of him as a player, a man-whore even. She felt so terrible for the things that she had thought about him for so long without even knowing the man. She hadn't been going along for the ride to shows for very long, she had always been so busy with school, maybe if she had she might not have needed to feel the way that she had, and at the same time she wouldn't have been alone for so long.

"So I had a great time tonight," Adam said throwing the wrappers from there now finished cones into a trash can.

"Me, too."

"We should do this again some time, what do you think?" Adam smiled welcoming her to sit on the bench.

"We should," she replied brushing a piece of hair behind her ear and sitting down. "This night was definitely worth skipping work for." He sat down and put his arm around her shoulders.

"You skipped work? What could you do that doesn't start until the afternoon?"

"Actually it doesn't start until eleven at night, but I would've had to sleep all afternoon to be ready for it."

"And," he paused, "it is what?"

"I'm a nurse. I work at Raleigh General Hospital. Normally I work day shift, but if they need an extra hand I help them at night."

"Very cool. Any kind of specialty, or just general nursing stuff?"

"Actually, I specialize in the rehabilitation unit for patients recovering from surgery. Like people who need to learn how to walk again, or people who have lost limbs and need to get used to their prosthetics, but for the most part I work with people suffering from sports injuries."

"Good to know, so if I ever get hurt you could take care of me?" he joked.

"Oh definitely."

"Comforting," he responded sarcastically. He looked out as the sun started to slowly finish going down. The pink and orange sky, she bent her neck and rested her head on his shoulder. It felt so right, like they had been made to sit like this together.

"Are you coming to the next show?"

"I don't know yet. I think I have to work, so probably not."

"So I'd better enjoy this while it lasts?"

"You know, you can always come back when you're done."

"Are you saying I'm welcome anytime?"  
She sat up and looked at him, "Of course."

"Good."

They spent another ten minutes sitting on the bench before making the trek back to their cars. Adam opened the door to her car as she used the key fob to open it.

"Can I call you tomorrow?"

"You can text me if you like, but I work from six to six."

"Ooooooo, texting. Not quite my cup of tea, but I think that I can handle it." He gave her one more grin before he shut her door and walked back to her car. She loved that cheesy, toothy grin that he had, it made her insides squirm, and her knees weak.


	5. Chapter 4

The next week went well. When ever they were sent home he would fly out and spend those couple of days with her. They would go out to dinner and movies, lunch, and for walks in the park. Today was their third week of seeing each other, and Valerie had decided to have him come to her apartment for dinner. They had talked before he got on the plane about what movie to watch that night. She had wanted to watch Camille and he wanted to watch Die Hard, so when they couldn't agree they chose to watch both.

For dinner she was making grilled chicken, scalloped potatoes and Caesar salad. She had just finished throwing the chicken into a plastic bag if marinade when there was a knock on the door. She made a dash for the door thinking it was Adam. She looked through the peep hole and saw that it wasn't Adam.

"Hi Beth, Jeff! What are you guys doing here?" Her pulse began to quicken as she looked at the time. Adam was due to show up in ten minutes. Jeff had to be gone before that.

"We haven't seen you in awhile baby sista. You've been working to hard so we came to take you to dinner with us."

"Thank you, but I wouldn't want to be third wheel."

"You wouldn't be. Matt, Kimo, Shannon, and Yuk are all going to be there. We all haven't seen hide nor hair of you in weeks," Beth replied taking a seat on the bar stool at the counter.

"Really guys, I would love to, but …"

"But what?" Jeff smiled, oblivious to the all of the food on the counter.

"Jeff, look around. Can't you see she's got company coming over?"

"Well, she can bring her friends along. Who is it? Sara, Brenda? They can come with if they want. We won't …"

Beth hushed him, "I don't think it is that kind of a friend. Is it Val?"

"What other kind of friend … Oh," he said looking at the color growing on Valerie's cheeks. "That kind of friend."

"Yeah. That kind, she finally managed to say."

"Well then I guess we'll leave, but I want to know some more about the guy who's messing with my baby sister. You be sure to tell him to watch his self 'cause you've got a whole group of brothers," he said standing up and asserting his dominance.

"Down Jeff, I'm sure he's a great guy. Now go start the 'Vette and I'll be down in a minute. We need to have a quick girl talk."

"Okay, but be careful Val. I love you, you know."

"I know." He kissed the top of her head and went out the door.

When he was gone Beth turned to her, "It's Adam isn't it?"

"What? Are you kidding, I mean," Beth stared at her like she did to Jeff when he tried to jump on the trampoline off of Matt's roof. "Now come on, don't be mad. Leave that to Matt and Jeff. You're supposed to be my friend, my sister, not my mom."

"Honey I'm okay with it, its just, do you remember what we talked about before?"

"Yes."

"Just keep that in mind tonight when you two are here. All alone. Matt and Jeff are just a phone call away if he gets handsy, and I'll be here in nothing flat if you need emotional support, okay?"

"I don't know why everyone is so worried about him. Isn't it possible that he actually is a decent human being who has just made some mistakes in his life? At least give him the benefit of the doubt. I mean we have been seeing each other for going on three weeks and the most we have done is hold hands."

"Okay Val. Just be careful."

"Thanks," they exchanged a hug and she left. Ten minutes later the Chicken was grilling, and Adam was at the front door.


	6. Chapter 5

Adam sat in the corner of the sectional couch, Valerie in his arms, her head on his shoulder. Something about the way they were just felt so right to him. Never had he gone so far in a relationship emotionally while barely doing anything intimate. He had never abstained from even trying anything this long before. There was just something about her that he couldn't shake. When he wasn't thinking about her, he would think of something that would remind him of something she would say, do, or wear. Up to this point they hadn't even shared a kiss. She was snuggled so close, her legs pulled up next to her. The entire length of her body next to his the warmth going through him making the room well over 100 degrees. He felt something in his gullet that he couldn't register at first. It was a tightening in his stomach every time that she moved closer to him, or sighed. Sometimes he would catch himself staring at her and she would look at him and he'd quickly avert his eyes.

When the movie was over she turned her head and looked up at him. She had a big smile on her face, and he looked deep into her eyes. Without realizing it his face went closer to hers and gave her a light kiss on the lips. She looked surprised, but didn't pull away; instead, she came back and kissed him again. This time the kiss was more intense, more passionate. She put her hand on his face as he turned and put his hand on her hip. She unfolded her knees as he dipped her back against the couch, his hand sliding up her shirt.

Then, as suddenly as it had started she shoved him off and jumped up from the couch. She stood for a second as Adam lay in shock. He could hear her heavy breathing, and it was not from excitement, it was from fear. He stood up and walked towards her, and touched her shoulder, at the touch she yelped and took off for her bedroom. He heard the door lock and heard her crying through the door.

"Valerie? Hey, Val, are you okay," she couldn't stop crying, both from fear and embarrassment. She hadn't expected anything, but when he had kissed her the first time it was so sweet and innocent, and felt so good as if it was something that she had been missing for a long time, but as she had begun to lay back, and the feeling of entrapment began to take over she panicked. She had shut her eyes looking at Adam, but when she opened them all she saw was the ferocity and hatred of Tyler. She knew she wasn't ready for this, but she also didn't want to lose Adam. In such a short time he had begun to mean so much, but she had probably just scared him so bad that he was already peeling out of the parking lot.

Adam stood outside of the door waiting for her to stop crying because whatever he had done, if he didn't wait for the tears to stop he was going to get anywhere, only cause more tears to fall. He hadn't meant to offend her, hell he wasn't even sure what had come over him. He had come in with no intention of doing that, but something about her drove him mad. Once she was in his arms and began to kiss him back, he found that he had lost all control, and now he might have ruined something with this beautiful, wonderful woman. Why couldn't he control himself? He sat on the floor in front door running his hands through his hair staring at the floor in front of him, waiting for her to come back out. He'd wait all night if he had too.

She had been sitting on the floor against her bed when she knew who she wanted to talk to, so she stood and walked to the cordless phone by her bed.

"Beth?" she cried into the phone.

"Val, Sweetie, what's the matter? Are you okay?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Do I need to come over there?"

"No, I just need to talk."

"Okay, tell me, what did he do to you?"

"He didn't do anything. It was me. We were making out on the couch, if you would call anything under a minute making out, and I was fine, then it started to go from making out to something more. I started to lie down on the couch and he was on top of me," she began to cry again, "then I made the mistake of shutting my eyes. I was fine as long as I was looking at Adam, but when I opened my eyes, and his hand was on my side I opened them and in that brief second I saw _Him_. All of a sudden the world stopped spinning and I was terrified. So I stood up and tried to collect myself, but every time I looked at Adam, I saw well, you know who I saw."

"Well Kiddo, it seems to me that if you want to make things right with him you only have one choice. You have to tell him what happened."

"But I'm not sure I'm strong enough," she sobbed fresh tears going down her face.

"If you want him in your life bad enough you'll find the strength."

She swallowed a large intake of breath and then slowly blew it out. A minute later she replied, "Okay."

Adam could hear her talking through the door and could hear the terror and sadness in her voice as she spoke with Beth. He knew he shouldn't listen, but he couldn't stop himself. What if she decided that he wasn't worth a second chance? He needed to know what he had done, and then he heard her say that he hadn't done anything. Then what had made her so upset? Beside himself trying to think of what could've made her so upset if not him? He hadn't been paying much attention to what she had been saying until she said the words, 'I was looking at Adam, but when I opened my eyes I saw _Him_.' Adam was filled with something new; anger because whatever this person had done had made her so sad, and insecure. He stood up the adrenaline pumping through his system like an intravenously administered drug. He walked to the living room and began to pace back and forth, trying to walk off the anger. He didn't want her coming out and seeing his anger because he'd know she'd think it was meant towards her. All he knew is if he ever found this guy, and found out what he did to her he would tear the bastard limb from limb. He walked out to the balcony and stood in the cool wind that was blowing, slowly bringing his temperature down, but only in the smallest amounts. He was screwed if she saw him angry, because even he knew how crazy he looked when he got mad. Part of his gimmick and part of his life.

She and Beth had stopped talking five minutes ago, the newest tears were dry, but her cheeks were stained from where the tears had fallen. She decided that she should call Adam and see if he would be willing to talk. She figured not because no one wants to someone who goes crazy when you barely hit second base? Plus, she knew when he found out what happened that he wouldn't stick around, nobody wanted to be with a tainted woman. She picked up her cordless phone and dialed Adam's number it rang once over the phone, then she heard the familiar sound a phone ringing out in the living room. She hung the phone up and walked to the door.

Adam stood overlooking the apartment complex his arms crossed over his chest. His anger was still at a simmering temperature when his cell phone began to ring. Nothing was important enough that it couldn't be handled in the morning. He had better things to take care of tonight. After one ring the phone stopped, and then a second later he heard the bedroom door open. He turned and saw her. His arms fell to his side at the sight of her. Her eyes were red, and blood-shot from crying. Her cheeks had trails of tears down them, even her hair had lost its normally brilliant luster. He choked back a tear of his own at the sight of her as all of the anger he had just been feeling melted away and all he wanted to do was hold her until she no longer knew how to cry.

He began to walk towards her, crossing the room into four strides, but as he went to hold her, she put her hand up and in a fading voice she said, "Please just have a seat."

He did as she asked, then she stood across from him.

"What I'm about to tell you is not easy for me. Actually, except for the night it happened I've never told another living soul. The only people who know this story besides me is Jeff, Beth, Matt, and Shannon. Try not to stop me because I don't think I'll have the strength to start again. Okay?"

Adam nodded his head, and then she told him the story, holding back the tears as best she could. After she finished telling him about how Beth had taken her to the hospital and that Tyler had left, never to be seen again, she took a short pause. Then went on to say, "I don't except you to stay, but I have never felt the way I feel about you for another person, but I know you can have any woman you want. The last thing you need is a girl with so much emotional baggage." With that she collapsed to her knees on the floor holding her midsection. Having to relive that night for the first time in six years and all she could feel was Tyler's breath on her neck, and his unwanted hands on her body.

Adam sat on the couch in shock, but only until she collapsed. He jumped up and went to her side. He knew she didn't want to be touched, but he grabbed for her hand anyways. She looked up at him, her eyes glassy. He pushed the hair that was glued by the tears away from her face and wiped away the salty droplets. "I promise you, for as long as I am by your side, nobody will ever touch you again. I swear to God." She closed in and wrapped her arms around his midsection crying into his shoulder. He engulfed her in his own embrace patting her hair, realizing that this is where he belonged. Holding her tight, telling her that everything would be okay. He held her until the tears stopped. He looked down and she was asleep in his arms.


	7. Chapter 6

Valerie woke up with a start a gasp escaping her lips. She looked out the window only the crack of dawn looming over the hills outside. She looked around her room and found no one. She threw the quilt off of her body and found she was still in her t-shirt and jeans. She tried to remember why she had gone to bed without changing, but at first she couldn't. Her eyes and face were sore. She walked to her mirror and looked at herself. She looked like hell. Her mascara and eye shadow were everywhere, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes were all red along with the area surrounding them. She pushed the escaped strands of hair back. They wouldn't stay down and after a few tries she gave, pulled her ponytail holder out and ran her hands through the matted mess. She could feel her stomach growl and decided it was definitely time for breakfast. Feeling gross she switched her jeans and tee for a grey sweatpants and a canary yellow tank top. She opened her door as the light came shining in through the window. She walked into the kitchen and put water in her black tea kettle. As the pot began to heat up she went to her refrigerator to see what she wanted for breakfast when she heard the unmistakable sound of a very masculine groan. She froze and let the refrigerator door close. She cautiously worked her way around the bar and saw a figure with long, blonde hair sleeping face down on her couch.

"Adam?" she queried inching towards the couch. His head popped up and he looked around him, eyes half closed, trying to make sense of where he was at. She walked closer and again called, "Adam, what are you doing here?"

Adam sat up his eyes kind of bugging out. His lower lip was jutting out and he had a look of shock on his face. "This is definitely not my bedroom. Hi Val," he smiled. Just from the tone of his voice she could tell he wasn't really awake yet. His shoulders were slumped and his hair was a mess. She couldn't help but think he looked absolutely adorable. As she looked at him, her face softening at seeing him first thing in the morning she began to remember why she had been crying, and that the last thing she could recall about the previous night was Adam holding her as she cried herself into a blackout.

Adam smelled the air almost like a dog and said, "Do you have coffee? I mean I know you don't drink it, but do you have any?"

"No. Nobody really is ever here first thing in the morning."

He stood up and pulled his hair back and locked it in place with a black band from his wrist. "Well how about I take you out to breakfast because me without coffee is not a pretty sight."

She chuckled a little then remembered her reflection in the mirror and how ghastly she looked. "Oh my God, I look so terrible though." She put her hands over her face to hide her hideousness from Adam.

He came up to her and rubbed his hand up her arm. "You look fine. I haven't seen myself, but I can't imagine that I look presentable."

"Yeah, but your mascara is running down your face either," she moaned. She wasn't crying, just exhausted.

"Well you know what the trick is, that water-proof mascara." She couldn't stop the giggle. He hugged her to him and kissed the top of her head.

"Just give me a few minutes to get ready."

"Okay."

After breakfast they went for another walk through the city park, and then they made their way back to the apartment. Once there they talked a little more about the night before. She explained to Adam how she wanted things to go slow. Her body was willing, but her mind was having trouble getting past it all. Adam understood. He didn't like it, but he could get by as long as he was with her.

Afterwards, Adam left for his flight to Tampa. He hadn't been home in two weeks and he decided that he wanted to switch up his two weeks of clothes. Before leaving they exchanged a goodbye kiss, something they had not done before, but a ritual that she was definitely willing to get used too. She turned and looked at her living room and felt a sudden emptiness overcome her. Already she missed him.

The next two weeks flew by and whenever Adam came to town the two were inseparable. They went to dinner, movies, and spent a lot of time in her apartment. They took walks and boats rides, and spent hours just sitting on her couch talking. Getting closer and closer, becoming more and more intimate. At first it was just kissing, but it began to progress into second base and a few playful touches here and there, but it never went for the full home run.

That was until Independence weekend. Adam had talked her into going with him to the California shows, and then they were going to go to his cabin in Canada to spend Canada Day/ Independence Day together. It was there that Val had an inkling that she might finally be able to rid herself of the thoughts of Tyler. To be hundreds of miles away from those bad memories and allowed to be a woman for the first time in her life.

As he left on July 1st Valerie closed the door as his head disappeared down the second set of stairs. She walked into her kitchen, and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. As she tilted the bottle to her lips she looked at her calendar. They had only one show on the 3rd and then they were done for the week. The show was in San Diego, one of her favorite cities in California. She hadn't been there in years. She had the time to take off from work, and she had the money to get a ticket out there. She called her boss and said to find someone to cover tomorrow; being the only day she had to work before her week off anyways, and began packing.


	8. Chapter 7

**July 3, 2009 – San Diego**

Adam sat in his hotel room in San Diego. They had arrived late last night and he had been so anxious on the bus. The anxiety was not from being stuck on the bus, he did that all of the time, but it wasn't very often that as he was on the bus that Matt and Jeff Hardy took a keen interest in him. Usually they fooled around with Khali and Singh in the back. Matt might wave or even say a 'hi', but Jeff always stayed as far away from Adam as possible, but not today. He began to wonder if they knew.

"Hey Adam," Matt started in his southern tongue, "What are you doing for fourth of July?"

Without thinking he replied, "My girlfriend and I are taking a trip up to Canada." Mentally he smacked himself in the face and was screaming _shit_ whilst doing so.

"Girlfriend? Didn't know you had one. Normally you are the guy on the bus telling everyone just how amazing and hot your girl is, haven't heard you spit a word out about one in awhile. What's her name?"

Thinking quick he came up with the name, "Jessica, her name's Jessica."

He put his head back down and tried to focus, or at least make it look like all of his focus was on the small paperback book in his hand. Matt turned back around. Jeff continued to sit with his brother in the row in front of Adam, but refused to acknowledge him in anyway for the rest of the ride.

Once they made it to the hotel Adam had raced up to his room and laid down, but he wasn't able to sleep. He missed Valerie. He was so eager to get this show done and spend some alone time with her outside of her apartment. The thing he was most excited about was the fact that he had a surprise for her. It wasn't an engagement ring per se being that they had been together barely two and a half months, but it was a promise. He knew how hurt she had been in the past and he wanted her to know that he would never treat her that way. He pulled the little amethyst heart ring that he had gotten. It wasn't small, but it wasn't so big that she couldn't wear it at work. He smiled at the thought of her wearing something that he had bought her everyday. The smile on his face said it all.

Valerie got out of the cab in front of the hotel where she knew that Adam was staying the last night. She wanted to surprise him, but she knew she also had to be careful. Matt and Jeff were staying in the same hotel and she hadn't quite told them about Adam yet. They knew there was a man in her life, and they asked questions, but she just give non-committal answers and that was the end of it. Being at home she could brush things off, but being here in San Diego, if they caught her here well … she'd cross that bridge when she came to it. She wanted to tell them, but she still wasn't sure how they would take it. Beth forewarned her about how much Jeff still truly hated Adam, and the thought of Jeff being mad at her was beyond unbearable.

She had spoken with Adam earlier, and after a little coercion on her part she got him to tell her what room he was staying in. She hopped onto the elevator, pushed the button for the fourth floor and watched the door close as she heard a voice yell wait, but it was too late the doors shut and the elevator was on its way up.

Jeff sat at the restaurant on the hotel. He had a half eaten hamburger and an order of French fries on a plate in front of him. Beth's plate was sitting across from him. She had taken leave to go use the restroom. His lone long-neck sat empty on the table as he sat just watching the world go by. A couple people who were walking by recognized him, mostly kids and he signed those couple autographs. Jeff watched people go on and off of the elevator paying no mind to who they were until he saw a familiar face walk over and push the up button with a bag and a large rolling suitcase in tow.

He stood up to get a better look past the plant that was in his way. The woman was about twenty-five feet away from him but he was almost one-hundred percent positive that the woman was Valerie. He started walking towards the woman as she waited for the machine. The doors opened and she stepped on hitting a button to another floor. He started to run after her, but before he could make it to the elevator the doors shut. He called "Wait!" but it was too late. The elevator was on its way up.

He decided that he must have been seeing things, but he was almost positive that the woman was Valerie. The only perplexing thing was if it was her, what the hell was she doing in San Diego?

He walked back to his table where Beth was standing waiting for him. "What's the matter Jeffro?"

"I coulda swore I saw Val get on that elevator, but I must be seeing things. I mean what would she be doing here?"

"Good question," Beth replied. Beth looked away. Jef thought it was kind of suspicious. Then the thought hit Jeff. The fourth was his and Beth's ten year anniversary, maybe Beth had planned this big party for them and hadn't told Jeff, and then she had Valerie come out and help her put it all together. That explained the whole thing. He looked at Beth and smiled.

He walked up next to her and kissed her on the cheek. "See you upstairs."

Room number 426. It was at the end of the extensive hallway leading away from the elevators in the middle. She took a breath and blew it out slowly. Then she raised her hand to knock on the door. Before her hand actually hit the door it was pulled open exposing Adam looking down at his phone walking out and running into her.

Before looking up he started saying, "Excuse me, can I help …" then he looked and realized it was Valerie. "Val!" he grinned. "What are you doing here?" He gave her a light kiss and then pulled her in his room.

"I thought I would come and surprise you. And I thought maybe we could start our vacation early," they walked to the couch and sat down.

"What about Matt and Jeff?"

"Eh, I figure if they find out we're already going to be gone for a week so they'll have time to cool off." She pulled her sunglasses off of the top of her head and set them on the table. "Besides, I missed you."

His smile widened, "I missed you too."

"So where were you headed?"

"Um, I was about to go get something to eat real quick, then I was going to head over to the arena and go over the match and change."

"Oh, I didn't realize it was that late. What time is the flight to Toronto?"

"Well I am going to have to change it now. My flight was going to go to Raleigh first. So I guess I'll have to cancel that one."

"I guess so. Well we can look while we are eating."

"Okay." They stood up and he grabbed her hand and they walked out the door.


	9. Chapter 8

They went and got subs at a local deli and decided to take a day in California. They decided to cancel the flight and sign up for a new one after the match tonight; after all he had an entire week off. After lunch they walked to the WWE shuttle that took them to the arena. There wasn't much too a house show. More fan interaction being that they were not on television. A lot of showing off of things that they couldn't do while doing the live televised shows.

Adam escorted her to a waiting room so he could change in the communal dressing room. "I'll come and get you after the show."

"When do you go on?"

"Well Jeff and I are the main event tonight."

"So you are going to be gone forever."

"More like an hour. You know if you want you could go down ringside and watch? Or you can watch from somewhere in the arena. Make it less boring for you," he grinned.

"Maybe I'll hang out back with the "paramedics" and catch up on local medicinal gossip," she chuckled putting quotations around paramedics knowing full well that they were actors who knew first aid. He gave her a quick kiss and walked out of the room.

Adam was at the entrance waiting for his theme song to start so he could run into the arena. Normally Jeff got last introduction, but he was going to make a promo on Adam before the match, make sure that he was over. Not that Jeff could be more over than he already was.

Adam peeked through the curtain and saw Jeff in the middle of the ring talking about how he was going to beat the hell out of Edge tonight. Hmphh, he chuckled. As long as he had been in the business it still made his insides churn and he could feel the excitement and anxiousness over knowing that the guy in the ring out there was talking about him, and that in a minute he was going to walk through that curtain and hear a mix of boos and cheers. He was used to the boos; they just mean that he was doing his job. He grinned at the thought, then he heard Justin Roberts call him to the ring as he heard the beginning of his theme song start.

Val snuck around the back and watched through the curtain at the other end of the ring. She had gotten bored with the false paramedics who were in the back waiting for the fight. The had been used in the CM Punk and Kane match when Kane supposedly threw Punk through the canvas. They were telling her how they aspired to be actors. One had been a promising med student who wanted something built more to her status. She was too good to be a nurse, and those that were nurses were bookworms with no lives. She kept her profession to herself.

She loved to watch Jeff fight, and the same could be said for Adam. They were both very good at what they did. As she was watching Jeff make his promo when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked behind her and saw Beth.

"So, you're going to Canada I hear, Jessica," she laughed.

"Jessica?"

"As far as Jeff and Matt know Adam said he was dating a girl named Jessica. Apparently she's a well built brunette." Meaning quite a bit different from Val who was a moderate blonde.

"Basically he's dating you." She smiled.

"Cute." She paused. "Matt's in the back, how're you goin' to explain your bein' here if he catches you?"

"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."

"Well, just so ya know Jeff saw you earlier. I have him questioning it, but he knows it was you."

All of the color drained from Val's face. She knew deep down, no matter how she tried to make herself believe otherwise, she couldn't lie to Jeff. "Did you tell him?"

"No, it's not my place, but I think if you take this where it might end up this week, you really need to tell them. You're their baby sister, they may get mad, but they'll get over it. Just give 'em time. Believe in them, hell, believe in yourself."

"Sometimes you sound too much like Jeff."

"After you've been with someone for ten years they rub off on you, and vice versa." Adam's theme hit turning her attention back to the ring. She was at the entrance forty-five degrees to the left of his entrance so she was able to see his head bob above the crowd as he made his way to the ring. Someone said something to him and he stopped walked up to his face and put his thumb to his nose, fingers standing in the air, and wiggled them. Then he went continued to make his way to the ring. He walked around the ring, Jeff's eyes never leaving Adam. Then Adam jumped into the ring and started a stare down with Jeff. Quickly he averted his gaze as the referee intervened and he ran to the corner turnbuckle. He jumped up and landed on the second rung. He made a wired face, but then went back to doing his gimmick. He jumped down, his face cringed again. He started to run across the mat, but the run became a limp towards the end, but he trudged on. He lept to jump to the second turnbuckle again, and his ankle landed wrong. Adam fell and grabbed his ankle. His face showed every ounce of excruciating pain he could show. Jeff and the ref ran over as Adam held his ankle. Hismouth was open as wide as it could be and Val's heart ripped in two as she heard him holler and shout, the manly version of screaming. More refs came running out along with the fake paramedics. Getting to the ring she knew they had no idea what the hell they were doing. She ran to the superstar entrance, but security held her back saying that she had to wait until he was brought back here.

"Get a real ambulance! Get a stretcher! Do it NOW!"

"Maim, I know you are with him, however, I need you to calm down until a medical professional arrives." He was holding her shoulders.

"Damn't you buffoon! I am a medical professional!"

From behind the curtain she could hear the crowd quieting down. She figured out why as Adam spoke into a microphone, "I'm sorry, but I can't fight tonight." The arena filled with more boos than cheers.

The other set of security guards pulled back the curtains. Adam was being helped to the back by two referees and Jeff not far behind asking, "Man are you okay."

Once he was behind the curtain they walked him over to the stretcher. Jeff helped lift him up and Val shoved past the guard. Jeff looked up and smiled as he saw her. "Baby sista, thought you were here. Thank God, you wanna take a look until the doctor gets here?"

She didn't even acknowledge him, only taking in the Adam's pain and the sight of tears on his face. She put her hands on his face and wiped away the tears. "Hey," she whispered, "it'll be okay." She reassured him.

Beth and Matt came up next to Jeff as he stared in amazement. "What the hell is going on here," Matt inserted into the silence.

Jeff shook his head, "That's what I want to know. Beth, babe, do you know what's going on?"

"Yeah, why is she so upset. Doesn't she deal with shit everyday? What the hell is making him so damn special?"

"She's dating him."

Matt and Jeff's jaws dropped simultaneously as they looked back at Valerie and Adam.


	10. Chapter 9

Valerie wiped the tears from Adam's face as she tried to hold back her own. His pain and torment made her heart break. "Adam, where is the pain?"

"It's my ankle," he choked out. She could tell he was holding back, but what he was letting show was pain enough. She had the faux paramedics hand her the first aid kit. She helped try and remove his boot, but it was hurting too much to remove manually so they cut it off. Then she made a cut up to his knee and then looked at his ankle. It wasn't broken, but there was definitely something wrong. She could see the swelling on the back of his ankle directly on his Achilles tendon. She had a bad feeling that he had torn it.

"Get me a wrap, and an ice pack," she hollered as if she was in an ER. She turned back to Adam. "Babe, I am going to do something, and it might hurt but you have to trust me. Okay?" He shook his head that he understood. She put her hand down to his toes and pushed up on the ball of his foot while not allowing his ankle to move. Simulating walking around on his toes. "Does that hurt"

"Nope."

She then let go off his ankle and started to move it. Adam screamed. "I'm sorry, babe."

"What's wrong," asked Jason, aka Christian, who was standing beside Adam giving him moral support.

"Adam, I have a really bad feeling it is your Achilles. I don't know if it's ruptured or just a small tear, but you need to get to a hospital."

Adam whispered a derogative and lay back on the stretcher.

She put her hand on his as the real paramedics and the trainer came running up to look at him. They got Adam all ready to be transported to the hospital. They told Valerie that she wasn't allowed to go on the transport. Adam begged to let her go, but they said they weren't allowed to let riders on anymore. Val felt it was a crock, but let it slide. She had a feeling it had to with her being a nurse. She gave Adam a kiss and a squeeze on his hand as they put him in the ambulance. They told her where they were taking him and that she was welcome to meet him in the ER. She was about to look up a taxi service on her phone when she heard an all too familiar voice say, "So when were you going to tell us?"

She turned and saw Matt and Jeff standing behind her with their arms folded across their chests. This is not what she needed to deal with right now

"You've been seeing Adam Copeland, the man who ripped apart my family? How could you?" Matt scolded.

"Ripped apart. You used to say it brought your family closer together! And don't talk down to me. Maybe I should've told you, but I didn't do anything wrong!"

"When were you going to tell us? After he had an affair during your secret wedding?"

Jeff placed a hand on Matt's chest and told him to step back. Val was grateful at first because she knew there was no way that Jeff would say such hurtful things to her for he was her brother, savior, and best friend. Apparently though, even that didn't matter where Adam was concerned to him. "Val, Adam is a very difficult guy. He doesn't have a great track record with woman. He tends to wham, bam, thank you maim. I mean look at his last marriage. Now come on, are you telling me you really want to have something to do with this guy?" He paused and then said the worst thing she thought she had ever heard Jeff say. "I mean by all accounts he is just like, you know, and I don't want to see you go through that again."

Her jaw dropped and her anger boiled over. "Adam is NOT like Tyler, and I can't believe you would say that about him! He used to be your friend!" She paused as they closed the doors to the ambulance then finished, "I would love to stand here and get yelled at like a child being scolded, but right now Adam needs me." She shoved past Jeff and walked to the door. She started talking to one the show-medics who walked her outside.

Jeff had never felt so terrible. Years ago they promised to protect Valerie from scum, and now she was head over heels for a piece of it. And instead of trying to talk it out with her, he had let his anger get the best of him. Maybe Adam had changed, but Jeff would be damned before he let Val get hurt again. Beth put her head on his shoulder, "You should've waited, huh?"

"Yeah." He put his head down and walked to the locker room. "I'm going to go change, then we'll probably want to go see where they took Adam.

She had gotten the phony paramedic named Brett to give her a lift to the hospital. When they got there the ambulance that had brought Adam was still parked in front of the doors. She thanked Brett then bolted through the heavy glass doors. When she got into the emergency room at first she couldn't see Adam, but she could hear him talking. She looked around and saw stretcher wheels beneath a curtain. Triage, she realized. She waited outside the curtain until was pulled back. Adam had his hair pulled back into a bun and they had gotten a gown on him, but his wrestling tights were still on. He looked like he was in so much pain. He looked around and when he set eyes on her his face softened for just a second before the nurse began to mess with the back of his ankle. Val rushed over to Adam, she was at first stopped by security, but Adam waived them off. Val grabbed hold of his hand and squeezed letting him know that she was here.

She kissed him on the forehead and then turned her attention to the nurse. "How long until he is taken back to be examined?"

"Due to his celebrity status we are actually going to send him straight to a room."

"And how long should that take?"

"It shouldn't take too much longer. The orderlies will come retrieve him and take him to his room."

"Thank you."

They closed the curtain back around them. Adam's leg twitched and he hissed at the pain. "Can't they give me anything for the pain?"

"Not until they get x-rays and a doctor diagnoses what's wrong. If they give you meds it would relieve the swelling which could hide what is wrong."

"Man, this sucks," he sighed.

"I know," she wrapped her arm around his head and kissed the top of it. "You'll be okay. I'll make sure of it. Okay?"

"Ughh," he sighed blowing bangs out of his face.


	11. Chapter 10

She looked at the clock. It was ten after five. They told her that she could come back at six, meaning she had another fifty minutes to sit and worry. The only lights in the room came from the TV. Her legs were laid out on the couch, hand covering her mouth, fingers standing up straight as she stared into the oblivion beyond her. They had diagnosed him with a ruptured Achilles tendon they had given him the pain meds he had been dying to have and in minutes the morphine had him asleep. They told him that the doctor would be back in the morning to discuss treatment and that she needed to leave. She wasn't just going to leave. They had already been checked out the hotel. There bags were with the company limo that was on stand by to take them to the plane when the hospital released Adam. She wasn't anxious to hear what the doctor had to say because she already knew what was to be said. She dealt with these injuries all of the time. Surgery, rehabilitation, lots of pain, stress, and for most athletes at least a year before he could be ready to wrestle again. The thought brought a tear to her eye. Not just because he was sidelined, but she knew all of the pain that he was going to have to endure and it killed her to think about. She knew she didn't want to let him go through it alone.

She was alone in the very large room, only the sounds of a vacuum running from somewhere above her. The staff had been kind enough to let her stay there considering her situation, but she hadn't known that she would be alone. Normally she would be terrified about being in an unknown place with the lights off, and no one around. Normally when it would happen she would be so paranoid that at any moment someone was going to come up behind her and she would never be seen again, but, not tonight. She was too preoccupied to hear the man walk up behind her.

Adam sat in his hospital bed. He had just been woken up from his drug-induced slumber to have one of the nurses come in to check his vitals and administer more medication. After she left he dipped into his bag next to his bed and from it he retrieved the promise ring that he had bought for Val. He twirled it around in his fingers, the florescent light above his head accentuating every different facet. He looked at the ring and tried to figure out for himself what the ring meant. He remembered he had bought one for Amy. He had been so excited to give it to her, and she had rejected it. She had rejected him after he had gotten hurt. He didn't want to let himself get hurt again. He thought that Val was different, but what if she left him too? He was going to practically be an invalid for months with this injury. Could she handle it? Plus, he knew he had to go back to Tampa to care for himself, she would never leave her job. They had barely been together a couple of months. He stopped playing with it and just stared it down. He might as well accept that she was the best thing that ever happened to him, and that she was going to be the hardest one to let go. He wanted to make himself mad, so that she wouldn't see the hurt on his face, but whenever he thought about her face all he could do was smile. Realizing the futility of trying to be mad at her he threw the ring at his bag and got mad at himself.

Val never even heard him come up behind her. He set his hand on her shoulder and nearly sent Val scrambling out of her skin. She screamed, but it was only a short one once she realized it was only Jeff.

"You scared the hell out of me!" she scolding him. Shoving his shoulder.

"Sorry, but I thought you were asleep."

"Ah," she swallowed a breath and paused. "So what are you doing here?"

"Matt and I came to check on Adam, and …"

"And what?" She questioned pushing her hand through her and tugging on it to wake her up.

"And apologize," he finished handing her a Starbucks cup.

"What's in there?"

"Chai tea latte, your favorite."

"Thanks," she accepted the cup, but wasn't going to drink it yet. "You said Matt was here too, where is he?"

Looking in the other lounge, we split up once the nurse told us where you went to, but she wasn't sure which one you had stayed in."

"Hmm."

"Listen Val, we, we were way out of line. I'm sorry, but you have to at least understand where we are coming from. I mean after all these years of seeing nobody, then all of a sudden you are secretly seeing somebody, and then that somebody turns out to be Adam? I mean hell that is a lot to take in all at once."

She turned and sat down on the couch, Jeff sitting across from her. "Yeah it was a lot to take in, and I should have told you, but had I told you at home, would your reaction have been in any way different?"

"Probably not, maybe a little more level-headed, but I mean considering the situation that we found out, cut us some slack."

She leaned forward setting the cup on the coffee table. "Fine I'll cut you slack, but I mean he used to be one of your best friends. You guys jumped out of hotel windows together. There are pictures of you two from parties in your old photo albums, and then you turn around and compare him to Tyler. I have never heard you be so mean to anyone."

"You're right. That was beyond harsh, but you have to remember that he has hurt me and Matt in ways that can't just be fixed."

"You're still mad about something that he did five years ago, to your brother whom I know has forgiven him to an extent. Why can't you?"  
He looked away for a second. She could tell he was trying to stay in control of his emotions, but it was hard for him, even when it came to Val. "Because he may have only stolen Amy from Matt, not that that was entirely a bad thing in the end, but he broke the bond of trust that we all had together. That takes a helluva long time to heal." He paused again, "and the reason I let my emotions get the better of me earlier is that years ago something happened on my watch. I should have been able to stop it, but I didn't and for that I am sorry," he grabbed her hand and squeezed, "and I will be damned if I will allow something to happen to on my watch ever again."

She stood, walked over to Jeff and gave him a big hug. "Jeff it was not your fault. And you know something? I have come to realize that it wasn't my fault. It was because Tyler was a dastardly, evil pig who got too jealous for his own good and unfortunately I paid for it, but I have found happiness," she whispered in his ear.

"In Adam."

"Yes in Adam, but also in you, and Matt, and Beth, and Shannon, and everybody else in this family. You guys have been the best thing to ever happen to me."

"Thanks Val," Matt came up to the two and gave her a hug.

"It's okay Mattiebot. I'm just glad you understand."

"So how is Adam doing?"

""Last I checked he was okay. His Achilles' is completely torn. The doctor is supposed to come this morning to discuss treatment and recovery."

"So when can you go back up there?"

"Six."

"Would you mind some company while you wait?"

"I would love it. I haven't been able to think about anything else. Hey, one questions. Where is Beth?"

"She's at the hotel. Do you think she would wake up at four in the morning when she didn't do anything wrong?"

"Good point."

The trio sat on the couch, waiting for six o'clock to roll around.


	12. Chapter 11

Valerie was outside Adam's room at five to six. The nurse walked by, "He's awake. You can go in if you like."

"Thank you!" Her heart was beating at a thousand miles a minute. She pushed through the door and saw Adam trying to fuss with the remote on the bed. "Hey there. How are you feeling?"

"The drugs help with the pain a bit, but this damn remote won't WORK!" he yelled throwing it on the bed. He was still trying so hard to stay mad, but with her around all he could do was smile.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Make the TV turn on, but the freakin' remote …grrr!"

"Here, let me see it." In seconds she had the TV on, the breakfast he really didn't want ordered, and him sitting more comfortably than any nurse who had come in to help that whole night. One thing he was quickly discovering, she was a fantastic nurse.

"I don't know why you ordered breakfast, I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat. Keep up your strength," she sat her hip on the side of the bed, "and you can't ingest any of your pain medications without something in your stomach, so would you rather get something to eat or deal with the pain. Obviously he had no choice but to eat. "Your hair is everywhere," she laughed, "do you want me to put it back into a ponytail?"

"Thanks, it is driving me absolutely crazy!" he smiled. He was trying to sty mad, but he was smiling. This was going to be the biggest backfire of his life. She called the nurse and got a brush that was delivered alongside both his breakfast and the Hardy brothers carrying a vase of flowers and a card.

"Thanks guys," he said reading the card while Val brushed his hair back. "Just for clarification, you guys aren't just trying to soften me up before disemboweling me, are you?"

"Hell naw," Jeff scoffed, "I wouldn't do that in a hospital with operating rooms and resuscitating equipment." Adam was a little scared, but then Jeff laughed and said he was just kidding, but there was definitely something in his eyes that said something dark, but Adam tried to blow it off.

Val went to say something, but was cut off by a knock on the door. It flung open to a man in a white lab coat. "Hi Adam, I am Dr. Youngston."

"Hi."

"Um, I am sorry to break up the party, but can Mr. Copeland and I have some time to discuss his prognoses. You can wait in the waiting room, or you can come back later."

"We'll just talk to you later." The boys walked out leaving Adam and Val.

"Miss, if you could wait."

Adam cut him off, "She is here with me, and she'll understand more of what you are saying then I will so I would like it if she stayed."

"Fine then. Adam, with the severity of your injury you are going to need to undergo surgery and rehab. We have talked to the company and they are going to have you flown to Alabama to have the surgery preformed by an expert out there. From there you will be taken home where we are currently trying to find a rehab center where you would be able to continue your treatment." He paused to take a breath, "and you will also need to look into hiring an at-home nurse for medication administration and to check up on you. Also you may want to find someone to assist you. You will not be able to drive, or walk on your left leg."

"How long is the recovery?"

"A man in your line of work? At least a year." He said it with such a sober look he thought the doctor was kidding, but he knew that he wasn't. Valerie squeezed his hand a look of understanding and sadness on her face. In that moment he realized two things. He loved her, and he was going to lose her. She dealt with people like him eight hours a day, she wasn't going to take care of a cripple like him for twenty four hours a day seven days a week for a year. She was going to get out while the getting is good, and she was going to take his heart with her.

She broke their gaze and turned to the doctor. "Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Okay, can we have a minute then. I think we need to discuss this."

"By all means." He started to walk out, then turned around, "One more thing. I am writing up your discharge papers and they said your car will be here to pick you up within the next ninety minutes."

"Thank you, doctor," Val growled. After he left, "God I thought he would never leave. I can't believe he treated you like that."

"Like what, he was only doing his job."

"No, he was acting like an uncaring troll who just told you awful news without even a kind word. No facial expression; he was like a zombie running on auto pilot." She squeezed his hand again.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Well obviously I am going to go Alabama with you."

"You are?" Adam asked surprised.

"Babe, if I don't go how am I going to know that you are being taken care of?"

"Thanks," he said disheartened.

She leaned up and gave him a kiss on his forehead, "Hey," she started her hand on his cheek. "We'll make it through this." Her words stung as Adam thought about how much it was going to hurt when she left.

Again there was a quick knock and a woman in a suit walked in. "Mr. Copeland. Your company wants us to give them nursing facility names so they can interview and choose one for you before you arrive home, but they won't give us your address for privacy, and I need to know what you live closer to in order to find such a facility."

He opened his mouth to speak, but Val started talking first. "That won't be necessary. He already has a nurse. Thank you for your help however." She turned on her heel and left.

"I have a nurse?"

"What do you think MSN stands for? The search engine?" she laughed.

"No, but you have work. And I'd have to find somewhere to live in North Carolina?"

"No, I figured I'd come live in Tampa for awhile. I wouldn't want some little nurse in a short skirt to com in thinking she can take you away from me."

"What about your job?"

"I'll take a sabbatical. They already have brought in the on-call and we have temps out the butt. They'll live without me for awhile. Right now you need me more." Adam was speechless.


End file.
